There seems to be confusion in the minds of some as to whether civil servants and public servants can be members of political parties. Some of the confusion is based on lack of knowledge, previously-wrong interpretation or political mischief. Let me explain in a short thread. The Public Service Rules previously said that CIVIL servants (people that work in mainline Ministries) could not participate in politics because they are expected to be neutral. Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution gives every Nigerian the right to free assembly...wait for it...

See enh? Minimum wage of N18,000 is unrealistic. Some states can’t even pay it. We can’t afford N56,000 if everything else remains constant: cost of governance, 1100 MDAs, NASS salaries & allowances, security votes, etc. We can afford it if we can take tough decisions. Can we? The private sector cannot afford a minimum wage of N56,000, with multiple taxation, no light (the biggest expense for most companies is on diesel), poor transportation infrastructure, etc. Both the public & private sectors can’t afford it. Let’s stop lying to our people, please.

NIGERIA AIR: My thoughts. Having been too busy to follow the news since yesterday afternoon, I have only just learnt of the “indefinite suspension” of the Nigeria Air initiative. As it was announced by Minister of Aviation himself, it is safe to comment on it immediately. Thread. In the public service, “indefinite suspension” is almost always a polite way of saying something has been cancelled. Having announced the “unveiling” of Nigeria Air to the world at large, this is a shocking embarrassment to the govt on a global scale. How could it have happened?

THE KEMI ADEOSUN NYSC SAGA
I have been meaning to do a thread on Kemi Adeosun for a while now, as I considered her to be the most reform-minded Minister in the current govt. We will get to that later but let’s first deal with the NYSC saga that led to her resignation. Thread... Let’s start with the Kemi Adeosun resignation letter. She said that she had become privy to the findings of the investigation into the allegation by @PremiumTimesng that the NYSC Exemption Certificate she presented was not genuine. She said she was shocked by the findings.

@Dstoryteller_1 I started off as a lawyer during my NYSC (Yes, I did serve!😂) in Jos. I served in a private law firm but also taught Criminal Law at the Police College. So, I had two jobs and two flats. I was in money. I even started sending money home for my younger ones then. #drjoeabahstory @Dstoryteller_1 I won my very first case as a lawyer: that of a widow that her late husband’s family wanted to take the tiny piece of land she was farming to feed the kids he left behind. I was so elated when we won. She had no money to give me but she knelt down & prayed for me. #drjoeabahstory

Since the recent elections in Ekiti and the attendant allegations of vote-buying and vote-selling, I have been reflecting on why people sell their votes in an election. As always, we should start with definitions to ensure we are talking about the same things. Thread. First of all, vote-buying and vote-selling are not peculiar to Nigeria or even the developing world. It happens everywhere. This is not a defence of what is alleged to have happened in Ekiti, but a statement of fact. Politicians make promises. The electorate votes in response.

A few days ago, @akinalabi wrote a thread encouraging you to take revenge when people offend you but do not apologise. He thinks if you don’t take revenge, you are weak. He’s a successful man, so very many people are likely to be influenced by his beliefs. I do not agree. Thread.

https://twitter.com/akinalabi/status/1025307792444407809

As always, we should start with definitions to ensure that we are talking about the same things. To revenge is to hurt or harm someone in return for an injury or harm you have suffered in their hands. It’s the age-old principle of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

All that Fela did was to yab government o. They threw his aged mother from the top floor of a building, burnt down his house and locked him up on trumped up charges. Now, you can abuse and curse anybody you like all day long. Try you say I drank milk and ate #fullchicken. In the past, if you as much as look at someone older disrespectfully, a STRANGER will “konk” your head. Now you can abuse your father’s age mate daily, curse them and both your friends and strangers will hail you. Yet, you say I drank milk and ate #fullchicken.

So, another day has gone past and still no word from Kemi Adeosun about the allegations of forgery of NYSC exemption certificate. 10 full days after the story broke, her complete silence has now moved from unusual to odd and now to bizarre. I’ve been racking my brain why. Thread.

https://twitter.com/drjoeabah/status/1015898311872733184

Yesterday, I did a thread on why I thought it would take NYSC a little while to get to the bottom of the matter. Of course, their work would have been much easier if the minister had made any statement at all on the matter. Most people will make a statement as soon as possible.

It’s been more than a week since @PremiumTimesng alleged that Kemi Adeosun forged her NYSC discharge certificate. I said it’ll take a while for NYSC to get to the bottom of the matter. Some people dragged me for saying so. They are now mute. Here’s what might be going on. Thread. As usual, when issues come up in the public sector, private sector arrogance comes immediately to the fore. People alleged WRONGLY that NYSC had no database. Some tried to sell their wares, from Cloud Storage to Electronic Document Management Systems to Blockchains technology.

@seunonigbinde You raise good points in your thread. However, ideological arguments about Conditional and Unconditional Cash Transfers have raged since the 1990s. They are perhaps THE MOST EVALUATED schemes in all of Development. Do they work? Let’s look at the evidence. Thread.

https://twitter.com/seunonigbinde/status/1012792431652343808

First, some definitions for those who may be unfamiliar with the terms. Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) is when you give money to people or families on the condition that they take certain action. Such actions include sending their kids to school or getting them immunised.

“Separation of Powers is not Separation of Government.” - @GEJonathan

“We must quickly move away from partisan battlegrounds and find the national common ground.” - @GEJonathan

“We may not have overcome our challenges, but neither have our challenges overcome us.”-@GEJonathan “The air of freedom we breathe today is the result of the sacrifices of thousands of pro-democracy activists, human rights campaigners and others who organised as civil society.” -@GEJonathan

“My political ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.” -@GEJonathan

A few days ago, I asked what had even happened to our National Stadium in Abuja. Many said it had been overtaken by herdsmen who were using it graze their cattle. My friend @rikkialakija picked me up from home to go see for myself. We spent 2 hours. This is what I saw. Thread! The main bowl of the stadium is in very good shape. It was solidly constructed. The chairs are not broken but the grass pitch itself is poor. There are people who dutifully trim the edges of the grass daily. They only earn N20,000 per month but are still being owed salaries.

A few days ago, I posted the tweet below asking young people to be careful in the run up to 2019. The part that riled people the most is the statement that you need to lack integrity to be a politician. One of the more intelligent commentators that disagreed was @DemolaRewaju.

External Tweet loading...
If nothing shows, it may have been deleted
by @drjoeabah view original on Twitter

Others were plainly shocked that I said so. Some even asked whether I was asking the youth not to vote by saying they shouldn’t vouch for any politician. I therefore undertook to address the issues raised by @DemolaRewaju this afternoon. So, here goes. Thread.

This morning, I want to talk about how Nigerian Management Consultants can get work from SERIOUS govt agencies. Many Consultants send in proposals blindly, usually offering training. Many send in their training calendars and brochures for courses in Dubai. Most are binned. Thread I’ll start by explaining some basics and making some exclusions. The biggest components of the Recurrent budget are training and travel. These two budget items have been used by some public servants as a source of extra income. Consultants have rightly targeted these budgets.

When Neutrality Helps The Victim
`“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” – Elie Wiesel
However, I argue that political neutrality actually helps the victim, rather than the oppressor. Thread The favourite quote of those that insist that everyone in Nigeria must be politically partisan is often used to denigrate those that refuse to be drawn into the current political milieu in Nigeria, and to paint them as unconscionable, irresponsible and unpatriotic.

Earlier today, @SirAyobami asked me for some tips on public speaking. You are unlikely to find what I say in any textbook on public speaking. I’m just going to tell you what works for me. I used to by quite shy and the bigger the audience, the worse I felt. Not anymore. Thread. When I was in Law School many many years ago, there was a guy doing his Youth Service there. His name is Fidelis Odita. Fidelis made a First Class at UNILAG and a First Class in Law School. He is now both a SAN in Nigeria and a Queens Counsel (SAN equivalent) in the UK.

Ever wondered why people do bad things and get away with it? Have you ever wondered why you should continue to suffer in doing the right things while those doing the wrong things seem to progress? Are you tempted to yield to wickedness, rudeness, deceit and evil? Don’t. Thread. You see, a good person suffers occasionally. Suffering forges you and makes you stronger. It also makes you appreciate comfort when it INEVITABLY comes. As someone once said, “The word testimony starts with test.” Don’t believe anyone that says believers cannot suffer.” They lie.

I visited Cuba two weeks ago & it was very interesting to see a different system of government. An opportunity to reassess the usual capitalist, market-driven ideology that is forced down your throat as the ONLY way, and the Socialist shouts of REVOLUTION/ Egalitarianism! Thread. First of all, the info brochure from the UK travel agent claimed that “Everyone in Cuba earns the same salary, regardless of the job they do. About $20 per month.” I asked the Cubans and they were LIVID with anger. It is completely untrue and they saw it as deliverate falsehood!

This Ajaokuta thing seems to be rumbling again. Nigeria has spent $5 billion (N1.8 Trillion) on it so far. It is the ATM that keeps on giving. Every now and then, the PIN is changed but it keeps giving. Let me tell you how things tend to go down on projects like Ajaokuta. Thread. First of all, someone comes up with a seemingly viable idea like...let’s have a steel rolling mill. Government then spends millions (sometimes billions) on feasibility studies that show you could potentially generate $1.7 billion annually and employ 20,000. What’s not to like?

Let me now talk about Nigeria’s latest ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. I think I was tagged by @iykimo and a few others while I was on vacation. The 2017 ratings were reported as “Corruption is getting worse in Nigeria.” Let’s discuss. Thread. First of all, the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is PERCEIVED to be. It is a composite index – a combination of polls – drawing on corruption-related data collected by a variety of reputable institutions